Separable fastener



May 27, 1930. G. JOHNSON I SEPARABLE FASTENER I Filed Juiy 25. 192e 2 Sheets-gheet l /muw/ afa May 27, 1930. G. JOHN'SN v1,760,833.

SEPARABLE FASTENER Filed July 25, 192e 2 sheets-sheet 2 Invew/ow; lwsav To 77H26 on, Y

Patented May 27, 1930 1 Unire sra it i ritiri eus'rnv ionnson, or wns'r noxnnnr, MASSACHUSETTS, Assrenon, BY' Mnsnn As'- SIGNMENTS, TO UNITED-CARR FASTEN CHUSETTS, A CORVPORATION OF MASSA ER CORPORATION, OF CAMBRDGE, MASSA- CHUSETTS SEPARABLE FAsrEnEn Application filed July 23,

This invention aims to provide improvements inseparable fasteners. -K

ln the drawings, which illustrate two preferred embodiments ot my invention" Figure l is a front elevation of the assembled Yiastener Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 oi' Fig. 1, showing the normalllocked position of the fastener;

Fig. .Slis a section similar to Fig. 2, but showing the iirst stage in the separating operation of the fastener;

Fig. t is a section similar to Fig. 3, but showing the relation of parts just prior to separating the stud from the socket;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the studv attached to a curtain;

Fig. 6 includes elevation views of the clutch member;

Fig. 7 includes a front and rear elevation o' the socket; v

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of theysecond form of stud and socket secured together;

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 oFig. S, showing the stud and socket inlocked relation;

Fig. 10 is a section similar to Fig. 9, but showing the clutch member being released from the stud during the fastener separating operation;

Fig. 11 is a section oi the parts `shown in Fig. 10, but showing the manner of tipping the stud out of engagement with the socket; and

Fig. 12 includes a front, a side-anda rear elevation of the clutch member.

Rel'erring to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in theV drawings in Figs. 1 through 7, I have shown a separable fastener or the four-side lock type which is particularly, though not exclusively, useful in cennection with securing curtains of vehicles to the body. Y Y

The socket member includes a casing 1 which may be of any suitable shape and y may 1926. Serial N0. 124,430.

be secured to the body 2 in any suitable manner. The' attachment illustrated shows the casing countersunk into the body 2 and held in engagement with the body by ascrew 3 secured to the casing 1 inthe manner shown in Fig. 7, so that there` can be no relative rotation between the casing and screw. ySlots. 4 are provided in the flangeoi the casing so that a Spanner or other suitable tool may be used in rotatingthe casing to secure the socket to the body 2. Within theV casing `l is assembled a clutchf member 5 `'normally pressed by a spring 6 toward the stud-receiy-v ing aperture 7 to engage the wall 8 surrounding the aperture as shown in F-ig. 2. rlhis clutch member 5 may bepressed from a single piece ofniet-al and has a base from which extend, in ,lirst one direction and then the other, a plurality of relatively long resilient fingers. The terminal ends of the fingers rovide jaw means Safor engagement with the neck 9 of 'the stud, as more fully hereinatter described. rI he clutch .member lifts loosely within the lcasing so .that the lingers. Y may-be free to expand without interference t from the wall of the casing. Y

The stud member includes a hollow casing 10 providing a iront plateil, a head' 12 and the neck 9. This casing may be 'secured to the curtain-13 in any suitable manner. .fl-low'- T ever, I have shown it secured to the curtain in such a manner that the front pl lies at the front face of the curtain 13 and the head l2, neck 9 and shank 1-1 pass through the curtain so that. the head 12 and neck 9 arel .5.: located atthe inner tace `et thecurtain. Prongs 15 pass fromA the front plate .11 through the curtain and then through slots in a back plate 16,` alter which they are clenched against the back plate to hold the: casing assembled with the curtain.

`Within the casing 10 is provided an axially movable member rproviding a press button portion 17 guided in and exposed at the iront plate 11, as indicated in Figs. 1 and'2.

can.,

tegral with the press button portion is a shank portion or displacing member 18 which passes from the button through an aperture in the outer end of the stud member. The free end of the displacing member 18 is headed over to hold the axially movable member in assembly with the casing 1G.

In securing the fastener together, the head 12 of the stud member is entered in the aperture 7 of the socket member and pressed against the jaw portions 5a of the clutch element 5, thereby moving it inwardly against the-pressure ofthe spring 6. During this operation the stud member is pressed toward the'socket member until the shoulder 19 on the shank of the stud member seats against the front face of the socket member. The neck of the stud member is thereby entered in the socket member past the straight portion of the wall 8, so that the jaw portions 5a may expand and pass over the head 12 to engage with the neck 9 of the stud member. Upon release of pressure on the stud member, the. springt in the socket member will force the clutch element and stud member outwardly of the'socket member until the fingers abut against the tapered portionof the Wall, as shown in F ig` 2. In this position the stud memberisy locked securelyin the socket member by the jaws Y5a which are locked with the neck of the stud member. That portion of the wall 8 adjacent the neck 9 andjaws 5a, being parallel with and fitting closely to the stud memberpthe jaws 5a cannot expand Vto any appreciable extent. It should also be noted that the clutch member 5 bears against the end ofthe unlocking part 18 and holds the press button pressed outwardly as shown in Fig. 2, thereby eliminating a spring in the stud member.

Separation can be effected only by press-.

.. ing upon the push button the clutch member 5 may be moved axially of the socket member to displace the jaws 5a from the neck 9 of the studV member, as shown in Fig. 4. While the press button is held pressed inwardly, the stud member may be withdrawn from the socket by exerting an outward pull on the curtain 13. Separation of the fastener is also assisted by the camming action of the jaw portions 5a on stud. j

Itshould be noted that the fastener cannot be separated by merely pressing upon the button without first moving the stud. mem-v berbodily relative-to the socket member, and therefore the space between the face of the socket member and the shoulder 19 should be at least the distance that is required to move the stud member so that the neck of the stud will bebeyond the parallel portion of the wall. This movement is a necessary part of the sloping head of the the operation because the jaws 35L cannot expand until they are out of the plane of the parallel portion of the wall.

Referring now to the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 8 through 12, I have shown a fastener which is substantially the sameas shown and described in connection with Figs. 1 through 8 except that it is so formed that it may be separated, after certain manipulation, by tipping the stud member relative to-the socket member. In the first form the stud member must move axially relative to the socket member after the clutch has been disengaged from the studmember while in the second form the stud member may be tipped relative to the socket member immediately after the clutch has been disengaged.

In order'to permit tipping the stud mem-` ber out of engagement with the socket member, the dimensions of the wall 8 of the socket member are changed so that aslightpush of the stud toward the socket' member moves the neck 9 and jaw portions ajof the clutch out of locking engagement with'the wall8.

This slight movement brings an annular shovulder` 29 formed on the sha-nk of the stud against the face yof thessocket member, as shown in Fig. 10, and Vthen a continued push on the button 17 forces the clutch 5 inwardly and the jaws 5a out of engagementwith the neck 9 of the stud member. If now the lower edge of the curtain 13 be pulled outwardly,

the stud will Aimmediately tip about a` point of contact between the shoulders 2Oy and edge ofthe wall 8 at the aperture 7 as shownin Fig. 11. As the pull on the loweredge of the curtain continues, the head 12 rides up the inclined surface of the wall 8 and the shouldered portion 20 rides about the -contact with the wall 8. Thenatural tendency in separating a fastener of the type shown is to grasp the curtain from below the stud member and, with the fingers in back of the curtain and the thumb on the press button, tip the stud out of engagement with the socket member.` In the form shown in Figs. 8 throughV 12, this action may take place very easily and smoothly, while in the form shown in Figs. 1 through 7 the action is more stift' because, while the tendency would be to tip the stud it would bind to some extent until after the relatively closely tting shank portion were free from the wall 8.

In the fastener shown in Figs. 8 through A ing aperture therethrough Ysurrounded by al wall of substantial width, an axially shiftable spring-pressed clutch ele-ment located in said socket member and having yieldable jaws for engagement with the neck of the stud member, said jaws adapted to cooperate with the neck of the stud member and the wall surrounding the stud-receiving aperture to lock said stud member and socket member against accidental separation when said neck is opposite the wall surrounding said aperture and extended shank means forming part ofthe stud assembly and spacing the studv member support from the front race of the socket member to permit for axial movement of one of said fastener members toward the other member thereby to move the neck of the stud member away from the wall surrounding the stud-receiving aperture to permit separation of the jaws of the clutch elem-ent from the neck of the stud member.

2. A separable fastener'comprising, in com-V bination, a stud member secured to a support.

and having a neck,a socket member provided with a front face having a stud-receiving aperture therethroughV surrounded by a wall of-substantial width, an axially shiftable spring-pressed clutch element located in said socket member and having yieldable jaws for engagement with the neck of the stud'member, said jaws adapted to cooperatewith the neck ofthe stud member and the wall surrounding the stud-receiving aperture to lock said stud member and socket member against accidental separation when said neck is o1 posite the wall surrounding said aperture, extended shank means forming part of the stud assembly and spacingthe stud member sup-k port from the front face of the socket member to provide for axial movement of one of said fastener members toward the other member thereby to move the neck of the stud member away from the wall surrounding the stud-remember, a spring-pressed clutch element lo-k cated in the socket member and presenting a plurality of expansible and contractible jaws having straight portions for engagement between said neck and said parallel portion of said wall to lock said stud member and socket member against accidental separation, means forming part of the stud member for permitting limited movement of the stud member so that said neck may be presented inwardly of said parallel portion of said wall and axially movable means formingpart of thev fastener y assembly for disengaging said jaw means from said neck when held inwardly of said parallel portion of said wall thereby to permit separationof the fastener.

4. A separable fastenercomprising,in combination, a stud member having a neck, a socket member having a stud-receiving aperture surrounded by a straight wall of substantial width, and axially shiftable clutch element in said socketfmember having yieldable jaws for engagement with the neck of the stud member and a spring in said socket member normallypurging said clutch toward saidvwall, said spring adapted, when said stud member is entered into said socket mem;

berto force said jaws into engagement with said neck and thereafter to move said'stud member and clutch axially relative to said-v` socket member to bring said neck oppositeV said wall to prevent expansion of said clutchlagainst acci-V ber assembled within said stud member, a co.

operating ,socket member having a stud-receiving aperture surrounded by a straight wall portion of substantial length and being parallel with the axis of said socket member, and yieldable neck-engaging locking means provided as a part of the socket memberand having straight portions engaged withsaid neck and said wall to lock the stud member and socket member against separation when the stud member andV socket member are engaged. l

6. A separable fastener comprising, in combination, a stud member secured to a flexible carrying medium and presenting at one side of the carrying medium a nonresilient head and neck andat the other side an axially movable press button having a vshank portion passing through the stud member and having one end exposedfat the vhead of the stud member, a cooperating socket member having a casing secured to a rigid support, said casing presenting an aperture surrounded by a wall of substantial width, an axially movable spring-pressed clutch element located within said casing and presenting expansibleand contractible jaw portions at the ends of the resilient lingers, said aw portions adapted to engage said neck and to be locked in eng-agement therewith by s aid wall to lock said stud member and socket member together and a lost motion connection between the stud member and the socket member whereby the fastener is adapted to be separated only by initial axial movement of said stud member relative to said socket member, subsequent axlal movement of said press button relative to said stud member to disengage the clutch elementfrom the neck of the said stud member and final outward movement of the stud member relative to the socket member.

7. A separable fastener comprising, in combination, a stud member secured to a flexible tions at the ends of resilient fingers, said jaw portions adapted to engage said neck and to be locked in engagement therewith by said wall to lock said stud `member and socket member together and` said fastener separable only by initial axialv movement of said stud member relative to said socket member, subsequent axial movement of said press button relative to said stud member and final outward pull upon the stud member, the face of said socket member and the inner face of the stud assembly being spaced apart at least the distance of the width of the wall surrounding said aperture thereby to permit said initial axial movement between the stud member and socket member. Y i

8. A separable fastener comprising, Yin combination, a socket member presenting a stud-receiving aperture surrounded by a wall providing .a part of thelocking means o f the fastener, a. clutch member located within said socket member andhaving resilient stud-engaging jaw portions, a cooperating stud member having a head. and zig-neck, said stud member being provided with. anl elon-. gated shank adjacent to said neck, said shank being of a size to enten'into said stud-receiving aperture sothat the neckof thestud member passes beyond the locking porton of said wall to permit said clutch to engage said neck and spring meansformingpart ofthe socket member for moving said clutch and stud member bodily into locking relation to said wall. Y

9. A separable fastener comprising, in combination, a stud member having a head and a neck, acooperating socket member, a

spring-pressed axially shiftable element as-V said stud member and socket member against accidental'separation by an outward stress exerted thereon, axially movable means` carried by said stud member and means vCooperating between the stud member and socket member to provide a Ylost motion connection whereby when said stud member has 'been initially. moved inwardly of the normal locked position relative to the socket member, said locking element may be shifted out of engage` ment with said stud member which is thenY axis of the socket member and an axially mov-- able spring-pressed clutch member having yieldable means formed integral: therewith for cooperation with said -wall to lock a stud member in engagement with said socket mem.- ber. i

l1. A socket member having a casing,.

means carried by said casing for securing it to a support, a stud-receiving aperture located in one end'of said casing and surround-edby av tubular wall portion of k'substantial lengtln said wall portion beingfparalleltotheaxisfiof the socket member and a spring-pressed axially movable clutch member havinga plurality of straight-j aw portions formedy inte# gral therewith for cooperation.r with said wall to lock a stud member in engagement with said socket member.v i

12. A separable fastener comprising, in combination, a rigid stud member having a head, a. neck, and a shank, a. cooperatingv socket memberincluding a casing presenting a stud-receiving aperture, a spring-pressed resilient clutch memberk located within the socket casing for engagement with said neck to lock said stud member with said socket member, an axially movable;clutchdisplacing element carried by said studmember andv held immovable by said clutch-whensaid stud member and socket member are locked, and an annular shoulder onV the' shank of said stud member normally spaced from the-.face of the casing when the studmemberv and socket member are locked together, said shankv` providing lost motion means whereby said shoulder'is adapted to be pressed `against the faceof said socket member during theseparating action of said fastener toiprovidea pivot-.about which, said; stud member mayv beV tipped after said clutch has'been disengaged from said stud member by said clutch-dis-V placing element. v

' V13; A fastener socket*Y member including a casing having astrid-receiving aperture in one end thereof, anattachingelement extending from the other end thereof, an axially movable resilientclutch element locatedwithin the easing for engagement with the neck of a stud member and a spring normally pressing said clutch element toward the stud-reoeiving aperture, said clutch element having a base portion and a plurality of expansible and Contractible fingers extending from said base toward said attaching part and then being reversely bent and having their free ends extending beyond said base and toward the stud-receiving aperture.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GUSTAV JOHNSON. 

